One Piece (spoilers!)

I liked it a lot more before some questionable characters were redesigned....

But it's a good story, for me at least. It isn't the "holy fuck best thing I'll ever read!!" and I'm not sure anyone can make that claim, but it is good and entertaining. You get attached to the characters and learn to despise a few more.

I've never read the Manga of One Piece, and I've only watched the first couple of Seasons of the Anime way back when. I never really fell in love with the show, and I'm wondering why is it exactly that you guys hold One Piece in such a high regard?

Basically, why do you think One Piece is so good?

Click to expand...

This is your problem right here. Just start reading and keep reading.

(btw, I don't care what you guys say-- first couple of seasons in One Piece anime are shit, even in Japanese)

The animation is undeserving of the name of One Piece-- of course every long running shonen series will have its issues with maintaining animation quality. They can only go all out for important episodes. But seriously, first few seasons of one piece anime look like 4th graders drew it. Read the manga, come back to the anime later for the episodes they actually put some effort/money into making. Also, skip arlong arc altogether because arlong's voice is just so crappy...

...I'm also not terribly happy about casting Krillin's voice actor as Luffy. Get a fucking MALE VOICE ACTOR for your protagonist in Shonen anime please... :|

I liked it a lot more before some questionable characters were redesigned....

But it's a good story, for me at least. It isn't the "holy fuck best thing I'll ever read!!" and I'm not sure anyone can make that claim, but it is good and entertaining. You get attached to the characters and learn to despise a few more.

Click to expand...

Nami and Vivi? Those are the only ones i can think of. But it was for the greater good. Nami got a boob job and Vivi spent Alabastas money to make herself look younger. Also, you don't consider OP as the best thing ever? Please turn in your Sniper Island Year Pass and GTFO.

@franky, what do you mean? We never saw what WB could REALLY do so we really did not see anything too special. I mean when Luffy fights Akainu, the fight and moves they will use will eclipse anything WB did. Not the way he went out but what attacks he used. We didn't see a 100% WB so don't get angry when he is outstaged by Akainu and Blackbeard later in the series.

Let it be known that I was able to enjoy English dub Naruto, "BELIEVE IT" and all, and other great atrocities of man, so quality is never really an issue with me.

I just never liked the concept of the One Piece characters to begin with. The characters were just written to be as flat as plastic to me (again it had nothing to do with the acting or anything, but the very concepts themselves).

The One Piece characters? Your post is confusing. Like Mathew above said, Oda changed his style quite a bit as he got rolling. I don't mind character redesigns because it has 0 effect on the manga and have no clue why mathew was bothered by it. It gets better down the road and Oda mostly doesn't get his characters into spewing melodramatic stuff. Just grind through the early chapters until about the Baratie arc. I think that's when Oda started getting serious. When he started giving some actual thought on his supporting characters. The Arlong arc(the one after baratie ) was arguably the first time the manga brought the reader to tears... Or the wimps at least.

The One Piece characters? Your post is confusing. Like Mathew above said, Oda changed his style quite a bit as he got rolling. I don't mind character redesigns because it has 0 effect on the manga and have no clue why mathew was bothered by it. It gets better down the road and Oda mostly doesn't get his characters into spewing melodramatic stuff. Just grind through the early chapters until about the Baratie arc. I think that's when Oda started getting serious. When he started giving some actual thought on his supporting characters. The Arlong arc(the one after baratie ) was arguably the first time the manga brought the reader to tears... Or the wimps at least.

Click to expand...

Aesthetics design is half of what reading manga is. If I do not enjoy looking at certain things or how things are portrayed then I get less pleasure out of it. It seems very simple, really. The story is still good.

(btw, I don't care what you guys say-- first couple of seasons in One Piece anime are shit, even in Japanese)

The animation is undeserving of the name of One Piece-- of course every long running shonen series will have its issues with maintaining animation quality. They can only go all out for important episodes. But seriously, first few seasons of one piece anime look like 4th graders drew it. Read the manga, come back to the anime later for the episodes they actually put some effort/money into making. Also, skip arlong arc altogether because arlong's voice is just so crappy...

...I'm also not terribly happy about casting Krillin's voice actor as Luffy. Get a fucking MALE VOICE ACTOR for your protagonist in Shonen anime please... :|

Click to expand...

Sorry, but no. Luffy's VA is absolutely wonderful in that role and I have never met anyone else who disagreed with me there. She defines him and I'm really glad I watched the show before reading so I could get his mannerisms in my head.

As far as the show goes, I'd say the first 20 - 30 episodes or so are terrible but I started enjoying it from Sanji's introduction arc and once it hit the Arlong arc I was hooked.

I disagree-- considering his position in the story, what he stands for how he was set up, and the role he plays in Luffy's life, he should have accomplished more in his final battle. He was set up for tragic greatness imo, and that's what he should have achieved (and it's what I think Oda THINKS he's achieved though he hasn't).

Click to expand...

I think you had too much expectations for Whitebeard going into the war. He was a tragic character Oda created solely to bring down and show that no matter how powerful you were, you are not invincible. I have no problem with Whitebeard not killing/maiming any major characters. Whitebeard kills Akainu and Blackbeard, now Luffy has no obstacles on his path to PK, ow8, the story sucks now. Had Whitebeard maimed Blackbeard or Akainu, it would water down Luffy's accomplishment when he actually beats them. Luffy just beat a Blackbeard with one arm and couldn't even fight at full potential, big whoop.

Keep in mind that the Marineford arc was not meant to establish Whitebeard's greatness, it was to establish BB and Akainu as supervillains, and Luffy's personal development through Ace's death. The fact that his name alone kept entire islands safe should indicate how great a prime Whitebeard was. He is sort of like a more extreme version of Kimimaru from Naruto, who was almost dead already when he fought Gaara and would've won had he not died of his disease in the climax of the fight. I don't think anyone in their right mind would argue Kimimaru was not one of the most impressive characters pre-Shippuden. Similarly, Whitebeard went into the war knowing he was going to die, and his only concern was saving Ace. He didn't bother dodging anything because all that went through his mind was "charge forth, save Ace". Despite his disease, he managed to defeat Akainu despite being cheapshotted by the likes of Squardo and Akainu (Akainu got a good shot in during Whitebeard's heart attack). His failure to save Ace further shows the tragic character aspect of him, despite the fact he was the strongest man in the world, he could do nothing but watch as Ace got a hole blown through him. It just goes to show how vulnerable Luffy actually is, if even the strongest man in the world is helpless as his dreams and goals are crushed, what does that make Luffy? Brings a more human aspect to the manga and sheds the pre-Marineford perception that Whitebeard was a god. Luffy has a long ways to go if he wants to be PK.

By now, it's kind of obvious that Luffy's journey to become pirate king is no longer the story, but more the result of that story. The story now revolves around the void century, the ancient weapons, the Will of D, the war that will consume the world, and the other prophecies Oda has mentioned.

I know that this theory is likely not what Oda would do, with the whole Will of D thing, but it's how I would write it. The one who Gol D Roger was waiting for is not Luffy, it's Robin. If you've read up till now, and still think that One Piece is a stereotypical treasure, go back to chapter one and read the entire manga again. I think that what awaits them at Raftel is a story or piece of information, one that connects the void century to the World Government, the Celestial Dragons, and all the phonoglyphs, and explains exactly why the void century was erased from history. The only person in the world who can decipher them is Robin, and the information she recieves is what sets off the great war, which is where the ancient weapons will come in. I'm going to go on a limb and say that the Island of Raftel doesn't actually exist in present time, it's in the past, which is why nobody can find it. The only way to find it is through that giant boat we saw in FI, which fulfills Joyboy's prophecy.

indeed, marineford was not meant to establish whitebeard's greatness, it was already pre-established. that is why that arc is so disappointing, whitebeard had been continuously touted as a powerful figure and to see him doing nothing but summoning earthquakes (characters cowered in fear but ultimately the 'tsunami' did nothing) and standing at the helm of his ship taking continuous, mutilating abuse until half his body was blown off was underwhelming. i stand by what chou said earlier that if he had maimed or killed somebody important i would have held that arc in much higher regard.

whitebeard or akainu need not have been harmed by whitebeard, but if he had hurt the other marine generals or perhaps wiped out a few nameless vice admirals or some shit i would have been impressed. not to mention there are still 3 yonko that luffy has to face in the future, there is no shortage of super villains for luffy to face.

all in all i feel that whitebeard should at least have done something more, y'know, MEMORABLE, and CONCRETE.

Can't believe somebody's having a problem with Luffy's VA (the japanese one)... No better voice can depict that character.

That said, it's true that OP's start is not good but not really shit. Humor was their game back then, and it's the only one which kept saving the fanbase.

Click to expand...

The Manga is fantastic from the start. I got no issues with Oda's are style (even from the beginning!), or the story-- art, story, charactes, gags, One Piece (the manga) has got it all, right from the first chapter. But the animation quality for the first few arcs of the anime is just... so... bad...

Than you look Shabondy / Marine Ford / Fishman Island and the animation quality goes from decent to fucking incredible depending on the episode. Of course, in terms of raw animation quality, it's hard to compete with a movie. The One Piece movies got major style.:justin:

Luffy's VA has grown on me, but I still would have prefered a male voice actor. FYI, I actually prefer the Dragon Ball Dub to the original Japanese audio... Goku, Krilin, and Gohan's voices all make my ears hurt.

@New World-- they wouldn't be permanently maimed, but temporarily. They have 2 f'in years to get back to their feet, when Luffy would be ready for the new world. It wouldn't have hurt the plot at all, but have made WB's story more meaningful.

The Manga is fantastic from the start. I got no issues with Oda's are style (even from the beginning!), or the story-- art, story, charactes, gags, One Piece (the manga) has got it all, right from the first chapter. But the animation quality for the first few arcs of the anime is just... so... bad...

Click to expand...

Hang on, from what I saw of the Anime early on the characters were terribly flat and boring, so I don't see where the all "It's got it all" came from. They were all defined by their goals, had no real inner conflict, and if they ever did, it was minor, and was resolved quickly without much reflection. It was like a soap opera with pirates, in that the characters stayed the same, but different and crazy stuff happens to them. Really, that was my biggest problem with One Piece, and it was why I never got into it and never continued with it.

Again, I only watched the first handful of arcs (Up to recruiting Chopper and erratically in the Recruit Robin arc), so I don't know if it got better after that.

indeed, marineford was not meant to establish whitebeard's greatness, it was already pre-established. that is why that arc is so disappointing, whitebeard had been continuously touted as a powerful figure and to see him doing nothing but summoning earthquakes (characters cowered in fear but ultimately the 'tsunami' did nothing) and standing at the helm of his ship taking continuous, mutilating abuse until half his body was blown off was underwhelming. i stand by what chou said earlier that if he had maimed or killed somebody important i would have held that arc in much higher regard

Click to expand...

while there are a number of reasons why i disliked the marineford arc (actually it was more the last couple arcs of only luffy :/) whitebeard's appearance was pivotal. yes, whitebeard had been exalted through the series of being one of the strongest characters, but it also showed he was growing weaker and on the verge of eventual death. i guess some people expected him to be so much more...but the only reason for him being there was to be a stepping stone for blackbeard.

even if he would have killed someone, who would it be and why? i mean, these are all enemies that you expect the straw hats to go up against at some point. the only characters the would have been realistically be fodder for him would be garp (unlikely) or sengoku (who had basically no presence at this point besides being the boss).

Hang on, from what I saw of the Anime early on the characters were terribly flat and boring, so I don't see where the all "It's got it all" came from. They were all defined by their goals, had no real inner conflict, and if they ever did, it was minor, and was resolved quickly without much reflection. It was like a soap opera with pirates, in that the characters stayed the same, but different and crazy stuff happens to them. Really, that was my biggest problem with One Piece, and it was why I never got into it and never continued with it.

Again, I only watched the first handful of arcs (Up to recruiting Chopper and erratically in the Recruit Robin arc), so I don't know if it got better after that.

Click to expand...

Up to Chopper means you basically just finished the introduction arcs. The next island is the first major arc (although the leadup started the minute you entered the Grand Line).

Hang on, from what I saw of the Anime early on the characters were terribly flat and boring, so I don't see where the all "It's got it all" came from. They were all defined by their goals, had no real inner conflict, and if they ever did, it was minor, and was resolved quickly without much reflection. It was like a soap opera with pirates, in that the characters stayed the same, but different and crazy stuff happens to them. Really, that was my biggest problem with One Piece, and it was why I never got into it and never continued with it.

Again, I only watched the first handful of arcs (Up to recruiting Chopper and erratically in the Recruit Robin arc), so I don't know if it got better after that.

Click to expand...

Wtf... What were you expecting? One of the main reasons why Oda is so beloved is because he knows his audience and his crafts' limits. He said his manga won't have romance because his target audience is mostly teenage boys. He also realizes this is a manga not a 1000 page novel. He doesn't try to make his characters spout melodramatic crap to make them appear deeper. The main character is not some tortured soul who is meant to save the world(later in the series Luffy actually makes up his mind that he is not a hero, just a dude passing through). The main character is a simple minded, lovable baboon who just wants to go on adventures. This manga revolves around where they go and what they see. Which sometimes end up being serious topics like slavery, morality etc. The main characters never reflect or even give serious thought to it. They are usually just forced to defeat a bad guy and move on the next adventure. Just read the manga and you will see how the characters actually grow without changing their personalities.

@uraga, like Atlas explained CC used his DF to suffocate them basically.

while there are a number of reasons why i disliked the marineford arc (actually it was more the last couple arcs of only luffy :/) whitebeard's appearance was pivotal. yes, whitebeard had been exalted through the series of being one of the strongest characters, but it also showed he was growing weaker and on the verge of eventual death. i guess some people expected him to be so much more...but the only reason for him being there was to be a stepping stone for blackbeard.

even if he would have killed someone, who would it be and why? i mean, these are all enemies that you expect the straw hats to go up against at some point. the only characters the would have been realistically be fodder for him would be garp (unlikely) or sengoku (who had basically no presence at this point besides being the boss).

Click to expand...

well, i suppose it would be symbolic more than anything else. i guess 'so long as whitebeard killed someone powerful /enough/' isn't a particularly strong reason xD. i do realize that my view is perhaps unfair towards WB, however, a little part of me can't help but be disappointed i guess. i do agree with you that the symbolic element of his fall is strengthened by him not killing anyone and ushering in the new era of pirates.

i am still irked by how the sneak attack was successful on whitebeard (inconsistencies with early ace; he's not THAT much older??) and the fact that he didn't make any attempt to ward away the cannonballs and gunfire...

Thank you for this thread. As it has been said before, One Piece is the best. If I could emphasis one point, it would be that OP is the epitome of a brilliantly told, amazing manga.

I have watched the anime and read the manga (so gooood). Almost all the characters are phenomenal (however their part is told) and Oda's story-telling ability is just fabulous. I could sit and talk about OP all day (and have before), but I don't feel like typing a shit ton for a post.

I also could talk about my favorite characters for quite some time, however, I don't really have >5 set favorites. I like a lot of them. And usually for different reasons.

Poppy, it was explained why Whitebeard couldn't dodge anything. He was ill... It also didn't help he was as old as dirt. Remember how Marco said that WB would never have been caught off guard even by a friendly? Remember when Ace was about to be executed and WB tried to use Emperors Haki to stop them but failed? Which showed that he could no longer even use Haki. When he attacked Akainu it must have been sheer anger(which helps to focus) that allowed him to use Armor Haki.

OU and IRC Leader

That said, I'd like to redirect the focus of this topic, since OP deserves better than us simply going off on random tangents :P

I want to talk about a few theories regarding the OP world, particularly because OP is one of the few works that has long term planning through the entirety of its duration: discussing theories actually has some merit for something like OP. The "big dog" of theories is the numbered chapter theory for nakama (matthew isn't allowed to post his opinion on this). What is the numbered chapter theory, you ask? Allow me to explain.

Oda has shown multiple instances of significant long term planning; things that didn't seem to be particularly significant initially come around to mean a lot later (hello Laboon). The particular method in which he deals with Nakama and joining is one such instance. I'll explain using examples.

Nami joins next in the Buggy Arc, but doesn't get a chapter title. Usopp joins in the Syrup Village arc, and doesn't get one. Sanji is the next to join, and gets his: http://www.mangahere.com/manga/one_piece/v09/c068/ Note that this says #4, not #2, even though it is actually the second nakama he is formally introducing.

We then pass through the years, recruit Chopper (don't get a #5 chapter) and recruit Robin (don't get a #6 chapter). At the end of Enies Lobby, we FINALLY get Usopp's #3 chapter, along with Franky's #7: http://www.mangahere.com/manga/one_piece/v45/c439/ "the third one and the seventh one" As mind boggling as it is to see this happen in chapter 439, over 7 YEARS AFTER the last numbered chapter in #94, it is just something you expect from Oda.

Why is this particularly significant, beyond the wow amazing long term planning factor? Because Chopper and Robin still don't have their numbered chapters (#5 and #6, respectively). Look at why Oda did not give Nami and Usopp their numbered chapters; eventually he planned they would leave the crew, and did not give them the number until they rejoined.

Also note that Jinbe did not receive a #9 chapter, and this is to be expected as he has still not formally joined.

What could Oda have planned for Chopper and Robin? It is surprising enough that Robin didn't get a numbered chapter after Enies Lobby, but Chopper as well?!! Could Oda be planning for CHOPPER of all people to leave the crew, for whatever reason?

Or...perhaps more ominously...are Chopper and Robin the two members Oda plans on killing off???